All angle of impact inertia fuse



y 1950 c. L. WELLINGTON 2,513,536

ALL ANGLE 0F IMPACT INERTIA FUSE Filed Jan. 3, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill/l/JJ nil llllllllllllllllllllll July 4, 1950 c. L. WELLINGTON ALL ANGLE OF IMPACT INERTIA FUSE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm LWELL/NETU/V Filed Jan. 3, 1947 Patented July 4, 1950 uurreo Fem-res 2,513,53e Att-euettforinmcrmterrr Fuss Gary L. Wellingtony-Eong Island City, Ni Y as Signor; to. the United States-iof America as rep-- resented by the Secretary of War 1 humiliation January-3, 1947, seriiii Ne: 7120;039

My-"invention relates to fuses for militarvex plos'i and" while particularly applicable to ro jeetilegsuch" as shells,- bombm grenades, rockets" anirthe like, is alsoapplicable to mineswbooby tra oii other such non-projectedexplosives reference to the drawing anethe speeineat ri= herein the" invention is' shown, des'cribedand "e"1 is longitudinal section thfou'g'lra nie'c anuzetl ern odiment of the invention, the parts Being, shown-in the unarmed position;

Figure 2 isa similar View of the form of inveiitio'Ir-ofFigur'e 1, but-showing the parts in the armed position;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on a ppifie eoi r'espohding substantially to that of the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a'fr'agmentary longitudinal section, diagrammatically showing an electrical embodiment of the fuse, the parts'li'eing shown in the arfinedphs'iti'on. i

'Ifi'tl'ie' drawing, wherein-like referencelchar at'fs naveuseen used throughout to designate like parts, 9 is a fuse casing having a driven, r-

tatableshaft 23 j ournalled in the outer end of the casing and extending inwardly andaxiallythere- 01E; ';A pinion I! on the outer; end; of theshaft 231$" connected to any suitabledriving nieans (not showni for rotating said shaft to arm-the fuse in a manner to be apparent hereinafter. The shaft 23 has an outer threaded portion 2342 just inside the outer end wall of the casing and a second threaded portion 23b on the free inner end of the shaft. The portion of the shaft intermediate the threaded portions 23a and 23b is 'n' a: 'ii'on military sense as an anti-tamper d'vihe whichwills'ound an alarm when disturbed;-

maii's for holding the tuse inenunamea untlir'eaded and of a s1" htly smaller diameter the the threaueuzportio I s-;-- Ari'piiter nilit w is" threaded on: the portion 23a of the sh'aft'ahd an" inner nut latte as is threadecr on the inner thr'eaded'portion-235 Anysuitable"means,*such as 'keys arid keywaysprev'ent the from-ro=- tatine the sh'af-t as is: rotate -b'utpe'r" ts=the= nuts to travel aX-iallyalb'h the shaftin 2; di rectien inwardl or the-fuse when the shaft rota-tea iirdrreuir-ectieni The outernut en ha sit's innerf end for'ihedto provide a convex cam-- surface--26. Th se'd or outer'nd-of the innernil-t '35 is also f med to= roviue a 'edrivexcanr laugh to the shaft 23.

The' far} e'ii'df-of the nut 35, hereafter cal-led the I latch; is- 'axiallyhored' an sli'dziblyredeivesthe firing :p'ir can 36 pins'pring 31. firing -p1'1i 5U*is --f6rnied' on tne rre'e end of the" cup 36. The inner end of the latch or n'ut 351s" forr'n'ed with radial holes i'la ea'eh of whidl-i lodsly receives: a-ball'39l As -summitFigure 1; out war-tr ovemerit of'the ktalls -"flds prevented-by their engagement ufitlitheitiner wall surface 41 a of 'a';sleeve-- It The balls'39eittndslightly-into theax'ial -bdre of 'the latch and normal] 'eii it I aeetheannular cam s'urfac'e M1 or the cup to" 3 hold the firihg timber-ed and to preveiitakial ih ward movement thereof; 1eeve 4 uward1y ofthe latchreceiving portion flit; is enlarg 'e'd 'to form a chamber 4'4 which forms an annularsh'r'iiildii 4Q; with-sai dportihn "41a; The other rond of eteise tsed ba an endwa'll-fi m tintsthe primer5l 'eentraiiy thereetenw beyond wlicli-is idea-ted the-booster charge 52; I

In operation, when the shaft 23"- is' r'otat" advance of the nut-latch 35 is prevented by a coil spring 43 which is interposed between the inner end of the latch 35 and the floor 55 of the chamber 44. The weight 32 is now held in spaced concentric relation to the shaft 23 solely by the pressure of the spring 43. It is obvious that this is an unstable arrangement and/or hair trigger setting, that upon any sudden'shock, such as the impact of the fuse" with the ground in the case of a projectile, that the weight 32 will be dislodged and its cam surfaces will cooperate with.

said nuts travel axially on said shaft and inwardly of the fuse as the shaft rotates, opposed convex cam surfaces on said nuts, .a cylindrical weight concentric with said shaft, the inner periphery of said weight being spaced from said shaft, concave cam Surfaces on the ends of said weight and engaging said convex cam surfaces onsaid nuts to maintain said weight-inspaced concentric relation to said shaft, a spring bearing against the inner surface of said inner nut,

. a hollow sleeve slidably mounting said inner nut the complementary cam surfaces of the nut and latch 35 to move the latter axially inwardly of the fuse against the pressure of the spring 43... This moves the balls past the shoulder 42 and and including an enlarged chamber forming an annular'shoulder with said portion of said sleeve ----.mounting said inner nut, said inner nut being they are forced radially outward into the chain ber 44 by the cam surface 40 of the firing pin.

cup 36. The firing pin spring now 'is free to force the firing pin inwardly into the primer=5l to detonate the same and the booster 52.

The strengthof the spring 43 maybe varied from asubstantially strong oneif less sensitivity is desired to a comparativelyweak one for great sensitivity. The latter effect is particularly desirable inthe case of mines, booby traps, and

other non-projected explosive devices, as well as in the=case ofnon-military anti-tamper devices, and provides an effective anti-lifting device, yet the arming feature makes the device perfectly safe until it is armed. It is obvious that in the case of dropped or projected missiles, that the inertia of the weight 32, together with its concavo-convex cam engagement with the nut and, latch, will operate to dislodge the weight and fire the charge irrespective of the angle of impact of the missile.

Figure 4 shows a modification wherein the.

fuse is detonated by electricity instead of mechanically. The arming operation and parts are substantially the same except thatthe primer l5l is wired for, electrical detonation, and the firing pin cup I36 actuates a switch I52 when it is released, whereby to close the circuit to, the

primer. This form of the invention has been. shown diagrammatically because it is obvious that a. multiple of circuitclosing means are adaptable to my invention.

Theelectrical form shown in Figure 4 is par ticularly adaptable to a non-military anti-tamper.

device as it is obvious that it is only necessary to substitute an electrically operated alarm for the ,detonator and to leave the device in the armed position. At the same time, the mechanical form of Figures 1, 2 and 3 may also be usedas an anti-tamper alarm by substituting a mechanical alarmfor the detonator.

,While I. have shown .and described Whatare now thought to be the preferred forms of my invention, it is obvious that the same is susceptible of other expressions and embodiments. Consequently, I' do not limit myself to the structures hereinbefore shown and specified, except as here-- inafterclaimed. H i

I claim:

1. An arming device for a fuse, comprising a shaft, means for rotating said shaft, spaced inner; and outer threaded portions .on saidshaft two nuts, one of said nuts being threaded on each,

of said threaded portions,.means for preventing rotation of said nuts as said shaft rotates whereby formed with an axial bore in the inner end -'thereof,-aspring loaded firing pin in said bore and including an annular cam shoulder on the inner end thereof, radial apertures through said I bored portion of said inner nut, a ball mounted in each aperture and held therein by the wall ofzsaid sleeve and the cam shoulder ofsaid firing pin, said balls comprising means to prevent the.

actuation of. said pin, said balls being adapted to be positioned on said shoulder when said nuts.

clear said threaded portions of said shaft where-.

by a shock will actuate said weight to force said second nut inwardly and permit said firing. pin to .force said balls into said end cavity ofsaid sleeve. tofree said firing pin.

2. In a fuse which comprises an inertia actuated weight for ,detonating the fuse, means, for arming the fuse comprising a shaft, spaced and identical threaded portions on said shaft, means for rotating said shaft in one direction, a nut threaded on each of said threaded portions, said nuts normally gripping said weight therebetween I to, prevent inertia actuation thereof, said nuts,

being adapted to travel axially of said shaft with said weight as said shaft is rotated until they clear said threaded portions whereby to arm said fuse; and spring means thereafter forcing said nutsinto gripping engagement with said weight, said aweightbeing cylindrical and being concentricallyspaced fromsaid shaft, there being complementary cam surfaces on said weight and said nuts, a spring loaded actuating pin, a latch engaging said pin to prevent actuation thereof, and

means responsive to movement'of said weight against said nut cam surfacesand against the actionof said first-named spring to release said a latch for operation of said actuating pin by its spring.

, v REFERENCES CITED v t The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS CARY L. WELLI GTON. 

